Photovoltaic Inverter Patent Landscape 2026
Photovoltaic Inverter Patent Landscape in 2026
The photovoltaic inverter IP field is in a Growth stage, with the multi-year filing window up 33% and annual volume still rising per the evidence — Chinese applicants, led by Huawei Digital Power Technologies, hold commanding positions, accounting for the majority of activity. The competitive structure is moderately concentrated at the top, with two clear leaders pulling away from a fragmented mid-tier of global challengers.
Huawei Digital Power leads a Chinese-dominated, moderately concentrated field
Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. holds the top position with 299 patent families, nearly twice the count of second-ranked Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. at 154 patent families. These two firms together constitute a dominant lead tier that stands well apart from the rest of the ranked field.
The top five filers together account for 37% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers — a level of concentration that signals meaningful but not extreme lock-in at the top, with a competitive mid-tier that includes China, Aiswei New Energy Technology (Yangzhong) Co., Ltd., and SunPower Inc.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | 299 | |
| 2 | Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. | 154 | |
| 3 | State Grid Corporation of China | 57 | |
| 4 | Aiswei New Energy Technology (Yangzhong) Co., Ltd. | 49 | |
| 5 | SunPower Inc. | 45 | |
| 6 | SolarEdge Technologies Ltd. | 41 | |
| 7 | SMA Solar Technology AG | 40 | |
| 8 | LS Electric Co., Ltd. | 36 | |
| 9 | Fronius International GmbH | 30 | |
| 10 | China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. | 29 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | AMPT LLC | 26 | |
| 12 | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 26 | |
| 13 | Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. | 25 | |
| 14 | Shanghai Chint Power Systems Co., Ltd. | 22 | |
| 15 | Sineng Electric Co., Ltd. | 21 | |
| 16 | Enphase Energy Inc. | 21 | |
| 17 | Solad Solar Electronics Ltd. | 19 | |
| 18 | Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai | 19 | |
| 19 | Xiamen Kehua Digital Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 19 | |
| 20 | GoodWe Technologies Co., Ltd. | 17 |
Huawei Digital Power’s lead reflects a deep integration strategy across photovoltaic generation and grid-interface technology, while Sungrow’s position confirms that Chinese pure-play inverter manufacturers are the primary innovation drivers globally. European and Korean players — SMA Solar Technology AG, Fronius International GmbH, LS Electric Co., Ltd. — hold mid-tier positions, suggesting continued but narrowing relevance in the IP race.
Patent applications from approximately the last 18–24 months are under-represented due to typical publication lag; recent-period figures should be interpreted as a floor, not a ceiling. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual filings rising on a multi-year basis; core PV generation and grid integration dominate the technology mix
The trend chart reveals a sustained growth trajectory from 2017 through the most recent fully counted years, while the technology composition chart shows that PV generation and power supply systems capture the overwhelming share of activity, with several adjacent branches remaining comparatively sparse.
Annual filing trend
Annual patent family filings grew from 172 in 2017 to a recorded peak of 448 in 2023, with 438 recorded in 2024. The 2025 and 2026 figures (215 and 17, respectively) are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as a reversal; the field’s 33% recent growth rate confirms expansion continues on a multi-year basis.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02S (Photovoltaic / solar power generation) is the dominant IPC class by a wide margin, followed by H02J (Power supply and grid systems) and H02M (Power conversion). Several classes — including H05K (Printed circuits and assemblies), H01L (Semiconductor devices), G01R (Electric and magnetic measurement), and H02H (Protective circuit arrangements) — hold secondary positions that may represent under-served niches relative to their technical relevance to inverter design.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Method and Device for ARC Fault Detection for Phot…
The present disclosure provides a method and a device for arc fault detection for a photovoltaic inverter, and a photovoltaic inverter using the same. The method includes: acquiring current signals at a DC side of the photovoltaic inverter; obtaining frequency spectral characteristics of the current signal according to the current signal; judging whether… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pole-mounted power generation systems, structures … | 415 |
| 2 | Photovoltaic power generation systems and methods … | 280 |
| 3 | Integrated photovoltaic roofing component and panel | 254 |
| 4 | Photovoltaic power generation systems and methods … | 251 |
| 5 | System and method for controlling ramp rate of sol… | 237 |
| 6 | Solar module system and method using transistors f… | 236 |
| 7 | Systems for Highly Efficient Solar Power | 227 |
| 8 | Photovoltaic power generation systems and methods … | 211 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for inverter R&D investment
The field’s growth trajectory, concentrated leadership, and active co-filing ecosystem have concrete implications for teams deciding where to allocate IP resources in photovoltaic power conversion.
Growth stage: multi-year filing momentum intact
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as Growth, with annual filings still rising and a 33% increase recorded over the recent window. The 2023 peak of 448 patent families and the 438 recorded in 2024 indicate sustained high activity. New entrants can still secure meaningful IP positions, but the window is narrowing as the leading Chinese manufacturers accumulate volume.
Lifecycle: GrowthTwo-tier structure: dominant pair, fragmented mid-field
Huawei Digital Power (299 patent families) and Sungrow (154 patent families) together represent a lead tier with a substantial gap to third-place State Grid Corporation of China at 57 families. The top five filers hold 37% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total. Mid-tier players from Europe, Korea, and the US retain presence but face growing pressure to differentiate by technology route rather than volume.
Concentration: Moderate-HighState Grid and Huawei Digital Power anchor the most active co-filing networks
The most prolific co-filing pair is State Grid Corporation of China with China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. (23 joint families), reflecting a utility-research-institute model. Huawei Digital Power co-files with SPIC Qinghai Photovoltaic Industry Innovation Center Co., Ltd. (8 families) and with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (4 families). State Grid also maintains active partnerships with multiple provincial grid subsidiaries and North China Electric Power Science Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Ecosystem: Utility-ledChina dominant; US and Europe are secondary but strategically significant
China accounts for the largest share of patent records, followed by the United States, Europe (EPO), India, WIPO (PCT), and South Korea. Australia and Germany also appear as notable filing destinations. The breadth of PCT and EPO filings by leading Chinese applicants signals active international protection strategies, making it harder for non-Chinese incumbents to rely on home-market moats alone.
Geography: China-centric, global reachGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| State Grid Corporation of China | China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. | 23 |
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | SPIC Qinghai Photovoltaic Industry Innovation Center Co., Ltd. | 8 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. Nantong Power Supply Branch | 5 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd. | 5 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | North China Electric Power Science Research Institute Co., Ltd. | 5 |
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 4 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Jibei Electric Power Co., Ltd. Electric Power Science Research Institute | 4 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Qinghai Electric Power Co. Electric Power Science Research Institute | 2 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Gansu Electric Power Co. Electric Power Science Research Institute | 2 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Henan Electric Power Co. | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Huawei Digital Power and Sungrow lead by volume; Aiswei accelerating fast
Two Chinese companies dominate the photovoltaic inverter IP landscape by family count, while momentum data reveals a fast-rising challenger and notable deceleration at the top.
Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.
With 299 patent families, Huawei Digital Power Technologies is the clear market leader, focused primarily on photovoltaic generation (H02S 40, H02S 50) and grid integration (H02J 3). Its recent-period filing trend shows a –11% dip versus the prior period — a moderation from peak pace rather than a withdrawal, and still the highest absolute volume in the field. The co-filing relationship with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (4 joint families) and SPIC Qinghai (8 joint families) indicates selective ecosystem collaboration alongside its predominantly proprietary filing strategy.
patent families: 299Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.
Sungrow holds second place with 154 patent families, concentrating on PV generation (H02S 40), grid systems (H02J 3), and PV balance-of-system (H02S 50). Its recent-period trend shows a –31% decline versus the prior period, suggesting a deliberate filing pace reduction or a pipeline thinning that R&D teams at competing firms should monitor. Despite the slowdown, Sungrow’s accumulated portfolio and breadth across generation and grid interfaces keep it the strongest pure-play inverter manufacturer by IP volume.
patent families: 154| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | 116 | ▼ -11% |
| Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. | 36 | ▼ -31% |
| SunPower Inc. | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 1 | ▼ -97% |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 12 | ▲ +20% |
| Aiswei New Energy Technology (Yangzhong) Co., Ltd. | 30 | ▲ +150% |
| SMA Solar Technology AG | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| SolarEdge Technologies Ltd. | 6 | ▼ -40% |
Under-served adjacent branches in measurement, protection, and printed assemblies
Several IPC classes adjacent to the core photovoltaic inverter branches carry meaningful technical relevance to inverter design but remain comparatively sparse in this corpus, suggesting they are either underfiled or represent differentiation opportunities for entrants willing to invest in adjacent IP.
G01R · Electric and magnetic measurement
This branch accounts for a relatively small share of the corpus despite its direct relevance to inverter diagnostics, grid-tie compliance monitoring, and MPPT performance verification. Fronius International GmbH’s focus on G01R 31 (testing and measurement of electrical apparatus) stands out as an exception. Teams developing next-generation inverter monitoring, fault detection, or grid-code compliance verification modules could find less crowded IP ground here compared with the dominant H02S and H02J classes.
Search this in Eureka →H02H · Protective circuit arrangements
Protective circuits — anti-islanding, arc-fault detection, overvoltage protection — are essential to inverter certification worldwide, yet H02H holds only a small share of this corpus. SunAngi Technology (SolarEdge-related entity) shows meaningful activity in H02H 1, suggesting that at least one player recognizes the strategic value of protection IP. Given tightening grid-code requirements globally, this branch has plausible technical value and a realistic entry path for firms building grid-hardening or safety-certification differentiation into their inverter platforms.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders diverge across PV generation, grid integration, and power conversion routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02S 40 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | H02S 50 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02M 7 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 1 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 166 | Strong · 92 | Strong · 134 | Moderate · 51 | Emerging · 28 |
| Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. | Strong · 103 | Strong · 73 | Strong · 62 | Moderate · 30 | Emerging · 17 |
| Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | Strong · 37 | Strong · 32 | Strong · 22 | Moderate · 13 | Emerging · 6 |
| Aiswei New Energy Technology (Yangzhong) Co., Ltd. | Strong · 40 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 23 | Moderate · 17 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | Strong · 21 | Strong · 19 | Strong · 37 | Absent | Absent |
| Fronius International GmbH | Strong · 18 | Strong · 15 | Strong · 18 | Strong · 10 | Absent |
| LS Electric Co., Ltd. | Strong · 31 | Absent | Moderate · 14 | Moderate · 12 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. leads with 299 patent families, nearly double the count of second-ranked Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. at 154 patent families. Both are Chinese companies with broad coverage across photovoltaic generation and grid-integration technology classes.
Yes — the lifecycle evidence classifies the field as Growth, with a 33% increase recorded over the recent filing window. Annual filings reached 448 in 2023 and 438 in 2024 as fully counted years; 2025 and 2026 figures are understated by publication lag and should not be interpreted as a slowdown.
China is by far the largest filing destination, followed by the United States, Europe (EPO), India, WIPO (PCT), and South Korea. Australia and Germany also appear as notable secondary markets, reflecting the global deployment footprint of leading Chinese manufacturers.
The most active co-filing pair is State Grid Corporation of China with China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd., with 23 jointly filed families. Huawei Digital Power Technologies co-files with SPIC Qinghai Photovoltaic Industry Innovation Center Co., Ltd. (8 families) and with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (4 families). State Grid also collaborates actively with multiple provincial subsidiaries and research institutes.
H02H (Protective circuit arrangements), G01R (Electric and magnetic measurement), H05K (Printed circuits and assemblies), and H01L (Semiconductor devices) all have comparatively lower filing density in this corpus despite their direct applicability to inverter hardware and certification. These branches may offer differentiation opportunities for entrants.
Aiswei New Energy Technology (Yangzhong) Co., Ltd. holds fourth place with 49 patent families and is the fastest-growing tracked applicant, with a recent-period filing trend of +150% versus the prior period. Its technology focus is concentrated on H02M (power conversion — AC/DC), distinguishing it from Huawei Digital Power and Sungrow, which emphasize H02S and H02J. This conversion-circuit focus may reflect a strategy targeting inverter hardware differentiation rather than system-level integration.
Ready to map your own photovoltaic inverter IP landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.